Fortune's Fool
by writer-in-chains
Summary: HBP Spoilers:: Innocent is lost amidst hope and pain, love and betrayal. Delves deeper into Snape’s past through the eyes of another. SnapeOC.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is one of my first attempts at fan fic in a long time, so I'd really love it if you could read and review. Pretty Please?

"_I have always believed that all things depended upon Fortune, and nothing upon ourselves."_

Chapter One: The Trouble with Eve

It was with some distress that the young woman ran through the cold winter streets, her heavy skirts held high as she flew through puddles of freezing slush. She ignored the icy rain that pelted down onto her pale face, reddening her cheeks and the tip of her nose. She barely felt the cold, and underneath her tightly laced silk bodice she had begun to sweat.

Eve Margot seldom had a chance to run, and she found a sudden joy in the feel of her feet pounding against the cobblestones. The sensible part of her mind knew she should turn back straight away, but she could not bring herself to stop. What lay ahead surely seemed more promising than what was waiting behind.

As vivid yet highly impossible escape plan forming in her mind, Eve ran down Diagon Alley, weaving in and out of the busy crowds of holiday shoppers. A few stopped to stare, she knew she must be a sight darting through the streets in her best dress, her dark hair falling from its ornate bun and blowing wildly in the wind.

She barely avoided a woman and her flock of children, but slammed hard into a dark figure coming out of Flourish and Blotts. She let out a small cry of surprise, and lurched forward to try and catch her balance. The stranger was knocked flat on his back, a small pile of books flying from his arms and landing in the puddles of slush around them.

"I'm so sorry." Eve said quickly, her face red from more than just the cold now.

She offered a gloved hand to the stranger, who looked up at her through strings of dark black hair. There was a moment of awkward silence, and Eve glanced over her shoulder, hoping her grandmother hadn't followed her. She was guessing that she wouldn't, at least not yet anyway.

"You don't want my help then?" Eve said, crinkling her nose as she smiled.

Her grandmother had once told her that her smile could melt ice, but then again her grandmother had told her many things.

He ignored her outstretched hand, and struggled to his feet alone. He nearly fell again when his foot slipped on a patch of ice, and he grudgingly accepted her arm when she reached out to steady him.

"You've ruined my books." He said, in a biting tone. "And my robes are soaked."

She glanced at his threadbare and worn robes, and felt her face grow warm. She felt bad thinking it, but she hoped they weren't his only pair.

Ignoring her gaze of guilt and pity, he bent down and tried to save a few books from their watery graves, but their pages were already soggy and water logged. Eve did the same, and then held the dripping books out to him, almost as a peace offering. He didn't take from her.

"Can't you repair them?" Eve said. "I know a spell if you like."

A tall wizard coming out of the front door shoved Eve back down into the street, and she gave a little shout of protest.

"They were very rare and fragile." The boy said flatly, not moving to help her back up onto the sidewalk. "I don't want you touching them."

Not expecting this frosty response, she responded by inching closer so they both fit under the window awning, as if closing the distance between them would cure his frigid demenor. The stranger made no move to back away, but glared at her with such intensity that at once she remembered who he was.

"I know you!" Eve suddenly exclaimed, leaning closer to get a better look at his face. "You're that one I see hovering around Sirius Black and that Potter boy all the time, right? The one who knows all of those spells?"

"I don't hover around them!" He snapped, scowling miserably at her. "And it's none of your business who I am."

"Snape isn't it?" Eve went on jovially, ignoring him. "I'm in your year as well, I'm in Ravenclaw."

Severus stared at her for a moment, as if heavily debating whether to continue the conversation or to hex her. She seemed intent enough on ignoring his cold glare, driven by an urge she could not quite explain. Curiosity finally winning out, he stepped further back under the awning out of the worst of the rain.

"Are you going to introduce yourself?" He said, sounding a bit less nasty than before.

"Eve Margot." She said brightly, ignoring his haughty tone.

She glanced nervously over her shoulder once more, hoping that her grandmother wouldn't catch her here and embarrass her.

At best she was probably still smoothing the Lestrange's ruffled feathers, and it could be ages before she sorted through that mess.

"Eve?" Severus said, testing the feel of the word in his mouth. "It's very plain, like you."

Eve was so taken aback that it took her a moment to be sure of what he had said. Truly, she was no great beauty, but surely not plain? She was a bit shorter than most girls her age, and her thin frame had none of the womanly curves she had so hoped for. She was pretty enough, though her pale complexion sometimes gave her thin face the sunken look of someone who has just been ill. Oh, how she hadwished for blond curly hair and plump rosy cheeks when she was a child. But what right did he have to call her plain? It was one thing to think it yourself, and quite another to have someone actually say it to you.

"I'm sorry." Eve said boldly before turning away. "But you're being incredibly rude."

She ducked back out into the stinging rain, and felt his eyes burn into her back as she strode away. She had not gotten very far before her grandmother's carriage pulled along side her, and the door flew open.

"Get in at once!" Her grandmother demanded in a gruff voice.

Eve continued walked for a moment, but knew better than to really disobey her. It was bad enough she had gone running out on her prospective husband, probably ruining any chance of a match. Though really, it had nearly driven her insane! All the talk of money and property, and not a single word of love? Of course, she had been raised knowing this day would come. The Margot's were a wealth family, and though much had been done to tarnish that name, wealth still stood for something. Her grandmother had made it her life's mission to see that she married well, as if that could undo all of the damage that had already been done.

"I'm sorry." Eve said at said, climbing up into the carriage like a boy.

She flung herself and wet skirts onto her grandmother, cradling her head in her soft fragrant lap. The old woman might have appeared thin and frail, but she was as strong as a dragon.

"Have you lost your mind girl?" Grandmother demanded, tugging hard on Eve's ear but at the same time stroking her damp forehead.

Eve sniffled, and could not hold back a wave of hot tears from spilling down her cheeks.

"Honestly Eve." Her Grandmother continued, slapping her on the top of the head, though not too hard. "Do you have any idea of a fool you made out of me? Running out like that, with not a word to me even...they probably thought you had gone mad. You are lucky that Mrs. Lestrange is quite intent that you should marry her son..."

"I don't want to marry Rabastan!" Eve cried, sinking down onto the floor of the carriage.

Her grandmother silenced her with a wave of her hand, and then seemed to think quietly for a moment before continuing.

"I didn't want to marry your grandfather either, but I grew to love him very much." Her grandmother reacher over and smoothed down Eve's wild hair as she spoke.

Eve looked up at this, slightly shocked. She had never known her grandfather, she had only been a baby when he had died. Her grandmother still spoke to his portrait every night before bed and every morning as well, and could not keep her eyes from welling with tears whenever she told stories of their years together.

"That's different though." She said slowly. "I know I could never love Rabastan. I despise him with a passion."

"Oh Eve!" Grandmother sighed. "You do everything with a passion. You approach everything with such love or hate, I become exhausted just watching you."

"How else am I supposed to feel." Eve protested, accepting a lace handkerchief and blowing her nose into it.

"You're seventeen, it is high time you learned some moderation and self-control." Grandmother went on, though there was little force behind her words. "I've coddled you entirely too much. Nothing is decided anyway. But do try and be a bit more sensible. You know I would never do anything that wasn't good for you."

Eve sat up beside her grandmother, and rested her head on her shoulder. It was only then that she noticed that two thin books were still clutched in her left hand, dripping cold water down onto her already soaked skirt.

"What are those dear?" Grandmother asked, noticing the books for the first time as well. "Did you do a little shopping during your escape?"

"No, I..." Eve began, not entirely sure how to put it. "They belong to a friend sort of. I accidently knocked him over in front of Flourish and Blotts, and ruined his books. Then he insulted me."

"Well, that's what you get for running around town like a little fool." Her grandmother said.

Her words were harsh, but her tone was still warm. Eve knew in her grandmother's eyes she could do little wrong.

"What should I do about the books then?" Eve said, opening one to find the pages stuck together with moisture. "He said they were very rare."

Grandmother reached over and took the books from her grasp, holding them at a length as if she found them particularly unpleasant. She pulled her wand out from her thick velvet cloak and murmured a familiar incantation.

"Dark arts..." She muttered, squinting at newly restored titles. "These are very rare indeed."

Eve looked over with renewed interest. She had little use for the dark arts herself, but there were quite a few people at school who thought it was all the rage. It was silly really, most of the spells were so complicated and so very severe that only a brave few would actually try them.

"I don't know what kind of friends you are keeping." Grandmother began, a hint of warning in her voice. "But in these times I would find it less than advisable to be seen with these sorts of things."

Eve nodded silently, understanding completely. They had all heard the rumors of course, of the death eaters, of the dark lord. There had been attacks as well, and strange visions in the sky. The children of respectable pureblood families, the friends that Eve had always known, had suddenly gone strange. It was as if they were all in on some big secret, one that they could only share with each other.

She took the books from her grandmothers hands, deciding that she would return them after the holidays. It was really none of her business what this Snape character was doing with them, and she surely wasn't going to take the bother to warn him. Why should it be her concern if he got himself into trouble. In fact, she would quiet content if she never had to lay eyes on him again.


	2. Secrets To Be Told

A/N: Thanks a bunch for the reviews!

Chapter Two: Secrets To Be Told

Eve pressed her hot forehead against the cool window pane, staring at the richly dressed people walking carefully up the icy drive. Tonight was her grandmother's Christmas ball, the first that she had held in years. Eve could vaguely remember the lavish affair, from the days when she was very small. She would sit under a table and watch the skirts of beautiful witches swirl as they danced, and her grandmother would let her sit on her lap and share her wine.

It was only proper that they would have another ball now that Eve was nearly out of school, and her grandmother was so eager to find a match for her. The show of opulence and wealth surely couldn't hurt Eve's chances at a fruitful match, and perhaps it would help forget the tragedy and scandal that had occurred so many years before.

Feeling more miserable than ever, Eve pulled her curtains shut and flopped down onto her bed. Of course she had gotten sick, and despite all of the potions the healers had shoved down her throat she could not be cured. It was only fever, but it was a resistant one at that. This morning, for the first time in three days, Eve was able to get out of bed. She wasn't nearly well enough to attend the ball however, much her grandmothers annoyance and her own disappointment.

Downstairs Eve could hear soft music playing, and sound of laughter carried up the stairs like daggers through her heart. She had not been really looking forward to it, at least not until it had been snatched away from her. Pummeling a pillow with her fists, Eve sank back into bed, holding tears at bay. She knew she shouldn't cry over little things anymore, but it was so difficult sometimes. Really, it was Eve's only true failing. She was clever and caring, interesting and charitable, but her emotions knew no moderation. Her intense moments of happiness and misery could not be contained or suppressed, and this often left her feeling foolish and exposed. She still could not really fathom why one wouldn't want to dive whole heartedly into their emotions, to ride them like a hexed broom. What passion was there in the world if you were never truly miserable, or truly happy?

As the party continued below, Eve lay back exhausted. There was a pile of work waiting for her in her trunk that she knew would have to be done eventually. N.E.W.T.'s were fast approaching, and Eve was determined to make a good showing. It didn't really matter of course, she would probably be wed before she even got her results, but she did not want to think all her years at Hogwarts were spent in vain.

Silently debating whether or not to start a particularly difficult charms essay, she wasn't listening for the footstepsin the hall, or the sound of her doorknob quietly turning. A sharp knock drew her attention towards the door, though Eve had no time to send them away before the door opened.

"You!" She exclaimed, bolting upright. "What are you doing here?"

Severus Snape stood in the doorway, staring intently at her. He had obviously not walked in here by accident, but was finding it hard to say anything.

"Do you do this all the time?" She demanded, sliding out of bed. "Insult people and them accost them in their bedrooms?"

Her legs had gotten tangled in the sheets, and as she took a step forward she nearly fell. Severusstepped forwardto steady her, but she shoved his hands away.

"I came with Lucius Malfoy, I didn't know it was your party." He explained. "But when I realized I thought I should come and apologize. Your grandmother said you be awake."

Eve stared coldly at him, crossing her arms over her chest. She was suddenly aware of how horrid she must look, her rumpled nightgown, her unkempt hair, and her face flushed from fever. He had called her plain, but why should she suddenly care what he thought?

"I didn't mean to insult you." Severus continued, inching back towards the door. "Not exactly."

Eve stared at him, deciding whether or not he should be forgiven. Perhaps he hadn't meant to offend her, but still...

"Sorry to bother you." He said stiffly.

He turned towards the door, but Eve called out for him to stop.

"Don't you want your books?" She asked, crossed the room and digging in her trunk for them. "I was going to return them to you at school, but you can take them now."

She held them out to him, smiling at the look of surprise on his face. He crossed the room swiftly, and took them from her hands, staring down at them in amazement.

"I thought I had lost them." Severus explained. "Thank you."

Eve causally tried to tuck a few stray wisps of dark hair behind her ears, unsure of what to say next, but knowing it should be said.

"You should be careful with those." Eve offered, carefully watching his expression. "People might think you run with certain...crowds...if you are seen with things like this."

Severus paled a little, though his face did not change.

"Should I care what people think?" Snape said, tucking the books under his arm.

"I would." Eve said. "Especially if I was close friends to Lucius Malfoy besides."

Severus shrugged, and looked as calm and collected as ever.

"What Lucius does is own business." He said casually, crossing the room to get a closer look at the picture hanging above her mantle.

A smirking woman stared down at him, he couldn't know of course that she had once been described as the most beautiful witch of her age. Severus marveled at how the painter captured her eyes, how they seemed to glow like fire. Eve had those eyes, he had noticed it today.

"That's my mother." Eve explained, almost reluctantly.

"I thought so." Severus replied, turning back to face her. "She was very beautiful."

"She still is." Eve said, followed by a bitter little laugh.

It almost didn't seem fair that her mother's beautiful exterior should hide the darkness that dwelled within.

"Oh." Severus responded, his voice betraying none of the shock that his expression implied. "I thought she was dead."

Eve swallowed a growing lump in her throat. Nearly everyone in good pureblood society knew what had happened, so she never really had to explain before. Her friends at school had sensed that it would be better not to ask, and she had gladly left them wondering.

But it was the truth anyway, and he was bound to find out from someone else before the night was over. Even after all these years later there were still witches that would be glad to tell the story, merely for the pleasure of the scandal it revived.

"We don't speak to my mother anymore really, she only comes 'round when she needs money." Eve said, knowing she could not leave it at that, but hoping that she could.

"She left you here with your grandmother?" Severus asked, looking at her curiously.

She could not decipher his gaze, but it was neither harsh nor judgmental. Eve got the sense that he was approaching her like he would a puzzle, slowly and deliberately putting all of the pieces together until he found something he could recognize.

"We all lived here together since the day I was born, so Grandmother was the one that really raised me." Eve continued.

That was the truth. She could never remember a day when her mother had actually acted like one. She barely paid any attention to Eve at all, and when she did she treated her daughter more like a lapdog than a child.

"What about your father?" Severus asked.

At these words he could not help thinking of his own father. His chest tightened slightly, but he quickly suppressed these unpleasant thoughts.

"My father?"

Eve felt the color drain from her face. This was going to be the hard part.

"He was murdered." Eve said, her eyes darting away from Snape's unyielding gaze. "My mother killed him."

Surprisingly, Severus did not look stunned. It was nearly as if he had been expecting it, though he claimed not to know. Eve tried to ignore how quickly her heart was beating. It hurt just to breath, whenever she stopped to think about it.

"But she's not in Azkaban?" He gently prodded, watching her for signs of tears or anguish, anything that would force him to stop.

"She was coming home late one night." Eve said, not wanting to tell but feeling that she had too. "My father and I were waiting in the library for her. I was only six at the time, and I didn't really understand what was going to happen."

She stopped and bit her lip, while Severus bravely put his hand on her forearm for encouragement.

"My father had heard rumors about my mother being unfaithful to him, but he didn't want to believe it. He was a good man, a kind man. My mother flooed in that night with another man, thinking my father wouldn't find out. He was going to give her a second chance, I know he was going to. They started arguing, and her lover grabbed me and pulled me out of the way. I suppose he thought they were going to have it out, and then him and mother were going to leave."

Eve paused, remembering back to that night. Sometimes she swore she could still feel the young man's hands rapped tightly around her wrists, holding her back as she struggled. She could see the hate clearly on her mother's face, etched so deeply that it would never entirely disappear. Her father had been screaming at first, but then he was pleading. He was begging her not to go, crying in spite of himself.

"While they were fighting, he reached for his wand." Eve said, remembering his raw desperation. "He wasn't going to hurt her, he wasn't like that. But my mother didn't give him a chance, she drew her wand. Her lover yelled for her to stop, I'm sure he knew full well what she intended to do. He threw me the ground, and I was too frightened to look."

She stopped and took a deep breath. Snape's hand was still on her forearm, gently squeezing her. If it was anyone else she would have pulled away, and scolded him for even thinking of touching her. Now she felt like she couldn't pull away even if she wanted to, just like she felt that she needed to him everything. It was oddly frightening and comforting at the same time. Almost intuitively, she knew that she could trust him with her secrets, that she could trust him not to hurt her.

"My mother screamed, and when I lifted my head I saw my father falling to the ground. There was green vapor in the air, and my mother's wand was lying on the floor just beside my feet. She must have thrown it after she cast the spell. My grandmother was woken by the all the commotion, and burst into the room a second later. My mother was on the floor, laughing and crying like madwoman, and I was at my father's side, shaking him, trying to wake him...it must have been very clear what had happened."

"But your mother wasn't punished?" Severus asked, standing much closer to her now.

It was making her uncomfortable, but at the same time she didn't want to step back or push him away.

"A house elf brought me upstairs, and I was given a potion and put to bed. When I woke up the next morning my grandmother told me that the lover had been arrested, and though my mother was free she wouldn't be living with us anymore. I tried to tell her that it had been my mother that did it, but she wouldn't hear me. It was hard enough on her I suppose. For a long time after that old friends would pretend that didn't see us on the street, people stopped coming the house and sending us letters. I think everyone knew that it my mother that had really done it, but if she had been sent to Azkaban the family name might have never recovered."

"So your grandmother sent an innocent man to Azkaban to save face?" Severus said, so boldly that Eve was too shocked to be angry.

"She never could believe that my mother would be capable of killing her only son. She had loved her like a daughter, I think that she still does in a way."

"I'm sorry." He said simply, pulling away from her.

Eve felt a small shiver as he moved away, and tried to laugh at herself. It was ridiculous, that she was telling him things she had never told anyone before. They had just met, and he wasn't even charming or handsome. There was something about him though, that she couldn't begin to understand. It was something unspoken in the way he carried himself, in the way he had drew her to him so easily.

"Now you know everything about me." Eve said, bravely staring him down. "But I know nothing about you."

"I hardly know everything." Severus said, with a quiet scoff. "And there is nothing about me that you need to know."

Eve laughed for a moment, before realizing that he wasn't joking. When he started walking towards the door she didn't think that he was really going to leave, believing he would at least turn around and say goodbye. He merely turned around and walked from the room without a word, shutting the door quietly behind him.

She stood in the middle of the room, dumbstruck, for a long while. She fully expected him to come back, to say something at least. When he didn't she debated going after him, because she was suddenly desperate that he should say goodbye to her.

The nerve! After she had confided to him...

Though she really wasn't angry. She was perplexed, and suddenly felt restless and feverish.

When her grandmother came upstairs later that night to check on Eve, she wouldn't hear any questions about Severus Snape. She ordered Eve to bed, scolding her for straining herself when she was ill. She insisted that Eve take a dreamless sleep potion, but she must have grabbed the wrong bottle.

Eve did sleep, but she dreamed as well. She was singing happily to herself, while a green vapor slowly rose up around her, turning her to dust as it encircled her.

Even as the dust blew in the wind, she could still hear herself singing.


	3. Mommy Dearest

A/N: I'm really grateful for the reviews I have...please feed the author!

Chapter Three: Mommy Dearest

Eve stared up at the dark grey clouds hanging overhead, and wrinkled her nose. It smelled like snow, and soon enough her grandmother would be calling for to come inside before she fell ill all over again. She had been walking the through the woods surrounding their estate all afternoon, scraping her mind for a way to get Severus Snape's attention once they were back at school.

Though she was not exactly beautiful, Eve had her fair share of boyfriends. Nothing too serious of course, usually just the usual rounds of snogging and half-hearted promises of a rosy future together. In the past when Eve found that she was attracted to a boy, it wasn't exactly difficult to get him to feel the same. The usual flirting and girlish laughter seemed to do the trick, though Eve had a sinking feeling that Severus would be a different story. For one, she was not exactly attracted him. At least not in a way that she could understand. It was more curiosity that made her want to speak him, made her want him to long for her presence.

She doubted that she could date him. He was practically a nobody, and too many people knew that she was going to betrothed to Rabastan Lestrange as soon as her grandmother finished haggling over money, land, and the like. It would only harm her reputation, and Eve had learned enough from her mother's disgrace to know that outside the embrace of good society was a very cold place to be.

Still, she had a strange desire to see him again. They only shared one class together, now that she really thought about it. She sat a few tables behind him in potions class, but there wasn't really much time to speak there of course. There was no way she could just go barging into the Slytherin common room without looking like a blithering fool, and she could waiting around forever to run into him alone in the library or in the halls.

Eve pulled her cloak more tightly around her chest as a strong winter wind blew past. A few flakes of snow danced in the air, and she knew soon it would falling heavily. Glancing up wearily at the sky again, Eve turned around and started towards home. Her grandmother would be angry that she had stayed out so long in the cold, but she had been desperately hoping it would clear her head.

Could she write him a letter perhaps? Then again, she didn't know if he was the type of boy would show it to all his friends and laugh over it. On the other hand, she couldn't remember if he had many friends. In all the times she had seen him he had been by himself, usually involved in some kind of skirmish with Sirius Black and his group of friends. She felt a little guilty when she remembered that she usually had been one of the people cheering for Sirius and Potter.

Eve slipped in through the kitchen door, nodding at the few house elves who were scrubbing the stone floor. Hopefully she could get upstairs without her grandmother noticing her, and avoid another lecture. Creeping down the long hallway, Eve noticed that the parlor doors were thrown open, and a warm light was spilling out into the hall. Her grandmother only used the parlor when there were guests...

She felt her palms begin to sweat. It couldn't possibly be him, and yet her heart leapt at the thought. Walking towards the door like a woman on a death mission, Eve nearly jumped at the feel of a hand on her shoulder.

"Eve!" Her grandmother scolded. "I was about to send a search party out for you! What were you thinking gallivanting out in the cold after you've just been ill? Have you any sense at all?"

Eve lowered her head, trying her best to appear docile and guilt ridden. Her grandmother clucked her tongue, but did not continue what could have been a dreadful lecture.

"You're mother has been waiting nearly an hour for you. She's in the parlor..."

"Mother is here?" Eve asked, her heart dropping down into her stomach.

Her mother rarely showed her face here, and then it was only to beg for money. Grandmother usually gave in to her, but sometimes she could put up quite a battle. Eve never asked, but she had the feeling that the money was coming from her own account at Gringotts. It contained all of the money her father had left, which was quite a considerable sum. Eve couldn't touch it until she came of age, though her grandmother had permission to use it as she saw fit.

In all the times her mother had come, she had never asked to see her daughter. If Eve happened to be there she might give her a stiff kiss on the cheek, but she never went out of her way to seem interested.

"Go to her now." Grandmother kindly demanded. "The sooner you speak to her, the sooner she'll leave."

Eve nodded, and slipped into the parlor. A bright fire was crackling in the fireplace, and her mother was standing beside it warming her hands. She was dressed in a fashion that had gone out of style a few years before, with fur draped over her silver dress, and long peacock features stuck in her small hat.

"Hello Mother." Eve said stiffly, clasping her hands together.

She had never carried on a real conversation with her own mother, and now felt both nervous and intimidated.

"Eve." He mother curtly replied. "You're looking well. Your grandmother tells me you have been ill."

Her mother sat one of the overstuffed arm chairs beside the fire, and gestured for Eve to do the same. She did so almost grudgingly, carefully eyeing her mother, who took a cigarette out of a fading dragon skin case and lit it with the tip of her wand. Her mother inhaled with a smile, and then exhaled a cloud of smoke into the air above their heads before speaking.

"You're turning seventeen this March, aren't you?" She asked, flicking some ashes onto the oriental carpet as she spoke.

"Yes, on the first." Eve answered, wondering if her mother even remembered when she had been born. "Why?"

Her mother coughed a little, and shifted in her chair, the lit cigarette dangling between her fingers.

"I've heard rumors, that your Grandmother is trying to pawn you off on Rabastan Lestrange."

Eve shrugged, deciding it was best not to say anything either way. Her mother had always been unpredictable at best, and the less information she had the better.

"I think it's a foolish idea to say the least." Her mother said, venom in her words. "If I had been able to choose who I married we might have avoided...the unpleasantness...that occurred."

Eve's face burned at the mention of her father's murder. The nerve her mother had bringing it up now, when she had been the one who was responsible.

"Don't be angry with me Evie." Her mother pleaded. "I only want what is best for you."

"Don't call me Evie." Eve responded, finding it very difficult to keep from yelling.

Her father had called her Evie, it had been the special nickname that they had shared. She could barely remember him now, but she remembered that.

"I've come to you to beg you, please don't allow your Grandmother to push you into anything. I know Rabastan, he is a close friend in fact. He is too old for you, and he is a very harsh man besides. You wouldn't be happy, and after everything you deserve to be happy."

"Since when do you care for my happiness?" Eve hissed, surprised at her own boldness.

Her mother looked as if she had been struck, and drew her free hand up around her throat, nervously fingering the tarnished broach that rested there.

"I know I have failed you Eve." She said quietly. "So many times over. But I care now, I'm here _now. _I don't want to see you end up like me. Do you have any idea how unhappy I am?"

Eve jumped from her chair, nearly knocking it over. Her hands were shaking with rage, she was so angry it was making her lightheaded.

"You don't deserve to be happy!" She shouted, not caring what her mother might do now. "Not after what you've done!"

Her mother shot up from her seat as well, and moved to strike her daughter. At the last moment she backed away, her face flushed with anger. She flicked her cigarette into the fireplace, sending a small trail of sparks scattering down to the floor.

"I'll leave you then, before we both do something we might regret." She said, reaching for her handbag. "But I need to tell you something first."

Eve stiffened, her heart still beating wildly. She had never lost her temper like this before, not with anyone. Though she made no move to speak or leave, she really didn't want to hear what her mother was about to say.

"If for some reason." Her mother continued. "You decide to do what is best for you, and not marry Rabastan, my home is open to you. There is nothing wrong with waiting a few years and marrying who you wish, even if is just to avoid the mistake that I made..."

"Did you love him?" Eve asked suddenly, nearly as soon as the thought occurred to her.

"Your father?" She asked, looking away from her daughter. "He was a good man, and very good to you...but no, I didn't love him. I suppose I didn't really try."

Tears stung in Eve's eyes, but they did not fall. She was sure that she did not want that fate either, marrying man that she did not love. Still, she found it hard to feel sorry for her mother. She had been selfish and unfaithful, and was every bit deserving of any pain that she had survived through.

"Please consider it, Evie." Her mother said, planting a kiss on her daughter's cheek.

Eve did not move, or try to stop her. She stiffened as her mother's lips touched her skin, but allowed her that small comfort. Her mother looked deeply into her eyes for a moment, before walking back towards the fireplace.

Eve turned her back, she did not want to see her mother go. Any feelings that she had for her had died when she was still a child, and she desperately did not want any to develop now. She had already decided that she would do what Grandmother wanted, if nothing more than to prove her loyalty to her.

Only after the familiar flash of light was Eve able to turn around, and stare into empty space where her mother had stood. Her cheap perfume and the smell of smoke hung in the air, like the ghost of a memory.

"She's gone then?" Grandmother asked, coming in to stand beside Eve.

She had been listening in the hall all the while, Eve knew that for sure. She wasn't going to say anything to Grandmother either way, hoping against hope that maybe this would be enough to change the old woman's mind about Lestrange. Even if it was only to delay the marriage, it would be an improvement. If only Eve had more time, maybe she would feel different.

"I wouldn't trust a word she says." Grandmother said bitterly, staring into the leaping flames. "She's only after your money. She knows how much you'll inherit, and I'm sure she's desperate for it."

Eve sighed deeply, because she knew it was probably true. Why else would her mother want her attention, only months before she was to come of age? She had not asked for money though, as Eve had expected. Could really be concerned? Trying to provide a daughter a single act of love by sparing her the fate that she had endured?

"She's only using you." Grandmother said, looking at Eve.

Eve turned away sharply, and left the room without another word. She could tell already that she would not be able to sleep tonight. It felt like a tempest was brewing in her stomach, as her mind battled between what she knew she wanted and what she thought was right.

Elinor Margot glanced over her shoulder, hoping that she hadn't been followed. She was heavily in debt, and her lenders were the particular brand of wizard that would stoop to violent means of payment.

Darting through the deserted back alley like a frightened mouse, she held back a scream as heap of tin cans was knocked over with a tremendous clatter. Putting her hands up over her ears, she back away, waiting for what she was sure would be the end.

She let out a small laugh as a beaten looking cat emerged from the shadows. It sat in the weak moonlight, and began to lick its muddy paw. It scurried away as Elinor neared, disappeared back into the darkness. Checking over her shoulder once more, she dashed up a crumbling cement stoop, and then opened a boarded up door with a few flicks of her wand. The door shut again behind her, as she quickly climbed a narrow staircase. The only light came from underneath the crack in the door above, and she stumbled once and hit her shin hard on the stairs.

Her eye's welling with tears of pain, Elinor opened the door above with a whispered spell, greedily diving inside with a relieved sigh. The apartment was small, and held a foul odor. The whitewash paint was peeling from the walls to reveal the rotting plaster beneath, and the furnishings were scare and barely fit to sit upon.

It was far from the luxuries that Elinor was used to, but it would have to do for now. She threw her cloak and gloves on the sunken couch, and then crossed the room and pulled back the dusty and ripped curtains. The street below was empty, though she couldn't count on it being so for much longer.

A squeak of the floorboards caught her attention, and Elinor spun on her heels and drew out her wand. She was not about to go down without a fight, not when deliverance was so very near. Acting much braver than she felt, she pushed open the door to the tiny dark bedroom, and let out a strangled cry.

"Merlin Elle, are you trying to scare me to death?" A tall handsome man asked, giving her a mischievous smile.

Elinor lowered her wand and scowled deeply. It was so hard to be mad at him, but now she was nearly close.

"Rabastan, what have I told you about coming here?" She demanded, taking off her feathered hat and throwing it at him. "You could have been seen!"

"By who?" He demanded, opening up an ancient looking armoire and rifling through its contents. "No one knows that we're together, they wouldn't even think to follow me."

"Would you like them to find out?" Elinor hissed, opening the cabinet beneath her night stand and pulling out a dusty bottle of brandy.

She shoved it into his hands, and then watched in distaste as he unscrewed the top and took a giant swig of the murky liquor.

"You've got any whiskey?" He asked, looking hopefully over his shoulder towards the armoire.

"You drank it all last time you were here." She said irritably, stepping back out into the sitting room, the only other room in the apartment besides the small bathroom. "I haven't got the money to buy more."

Rabastan joined her, frowning slightly. He would rather not talk of money, especially when she was so clearly in need of it. It was a sensitive subject between them, because no matter how much he loved Elinor, he wasn't about to abandon his inheritance to be with her.

"Have you spoken to her?" Rabastan asked hopefully.

Personally, he would rather now get married at all, but his mother thought marrying the little Margot girl was best. He couldn't very well tell her that the girl was the daughter of his lover, and he had no interest in marrying a little seventeen year old who he obviously had nothing in common with. His mother would disinherit him on the spot, and then where would that leave the both of them?

"I saw her briefly." Elinor said, grabbing the bottle out of his hands and took a tiny sip.

Her face scrunching up in displeasure she had another, and then handed it back to him.

"And?" He implored.

"And, I told her that marrying you would be a mistake, and that she should leave the old bat and come live with me."

Rabastan snorted, suddenly amused. He had known enough of these straight-laced smiling little pureblood girls to know what was going to happen. They were practically raised from birth to be obedient, there was no way in hell this was going to work...

"If she moves in it will be easier to persuade her to part with some of her money. Once that is done you use your connections to help me find her someone else she can marry. I won't expect anyone rich or handsome of course, just someone that will keep her happy and quiet." Elinor continued.

"A simple plan from a simple mind." Rabastan laughed, finishing the last of the brandy and tossing it into the fire.

"Have you ever considered that she might fall in love with someone on her own?" He inquired, raising an eyebrow. "There was a young man asking about her last night at our meeting, and I'm sure he won't be the only one."

Elinor gave a flippant laugh. Her daughter had hardly inherited her beauty, and other than her fortune she couldn't possibly have anything to offer.

"Who was he?" She asked, more out of curiosity than worry.

"His name's Snape." Rabastan explained, crossing the room the place his hands on Elinor shoulders. "You wouldn't have heard of him. He's not anything special by any means. From what I hear he's a got a muggle for a father, and the family is flat broke besides."

"Is he handsome?" She asked, letting him gently massage her shoulders.

"Hardly." Rabastan said, with an amused laugh. "In fact, I would say the boy is quite ugly."

Immediately, Elinor felt better. There was a part of her that wanted to see her daughter happy, one that she had only just become aware of. Marrying someone out of her class might make her happy for a while, but Elinor knew how these things usually ended.

Elinor had never been motherly, if given the choice she probably would have never had children, but now she feeling the smallest twinges of concern towards Eve. Merlin, she was going soft.

"I've had enough talk about Eve." She announced, pouting. "Do you forget that you're supposed to be charming me?"

He laughed, and scooped Elinor up into his arms unexpectedly. She gave a false cry of protest, and he smiled wickedly.

"I can charm you just as easily in the bedroom." Rabastan laughed, carrying her in and throwing her down on the bed.

Elinor threw her head back, and laughed as well. She doubted this affair would Rabastan would last for long, but she was going to use it for all it was worth. Thinking how funny it was that love and money went so well together and yet so poorly at the same time, she kissed him on the lips, and pulled him down onto the bed with as much passion as she could manage.


	4. Notes and Declarations

A/N: Please review!

Chapter Four: Notes and Declarations

Walking like she was lost in a cloud, Eve stared dreamily up at the enchanted ceiling. Clutching at the already tattered piece of parchment hidden in her robes, she ignored her friend's friendly waves and sat at the end of the Ravenclaw table by herself.

It must have been good luck, or fate even, that just as she was raking her brain for a way to reach Severus Snape he must have been doing the same. They had not been back from school for more than two days when she found the letter under her pillow, its neat but cramped writing saying little, but asking much.

_Eve,_

(The letter had read)

_I have been thinking about you. If this letter finds you willing, meet me Friday night at midnight in the old charms classroom. _

_Come alone._

_S. Snape_

Eve had reread the letter so many times it was coming apart the creases. It had been very bold of him, and she was sure that she could have never taken the risk. After asking nearly everyone she knew, she finally found the location of the old charms classroom. It was on the second floor, hidden away at the end of a long corridor. She had heard rumors that a student had been killed there once, in a horrible accident, and that was why the room was no longer used. The thought sent a shiver up her spine, and made the meeting seem all the more intriguing.

In only a few hours they would be together. She could not think of what she would say to him, or what he could possibly have to say to her. She had not told any of her friends, because she was sure they would try and talk her out of it. She knew it was stupid, going to meet a boy alone in the middle of night, one that she barely knew at that.

Potions class had been the worst. She had come early, just so she might see him walk in. Eve had expected something, a smile, a nod, a glance at least. He had walked past her as he had done every other day, and she was left to stare at the back of his head and wonder what he was thinking.

She ate her dinner so quickly she felt sick, and then pressing the note back into her pocket she dashed up to Ravenclaw tower, ignoring the curious glances of her friends as she passed. She went straight into the bathroom and stared at herself in the mirror for a long while, taking in every feature and flaw. She was pretty, though far from beautiful. Perhaps if she had more a bit more color, and did something with her hair...

"Eve, why didn't you sit with us at dinner?" Her friend Francine demanded, bursting into the tiled room. "You missed the funniest thing! Charlie Gibbs came over, and he asked Kate if she would go out with him! She almost choked on her...Eve, what's the matter?"

Eve broke her gaze away from the mirror, realizing how strange she must look, just staring like that. She had never been one to care much about her looks, she'd rather watch a good game of Quidditch than fuss over beauty charms.

"Nothing." Eve whispered. "I'm just not feeling like myself today."

A sudden thought occurred to her, one that she felt positively stupid not to have remembered before. Their friend Kate was a muggle born, and Eve had seen her putting on muggle make-up. The whole affair didn't look pleasant, but it was better than attempting a beauty charm and ending up in the hospital wing.

"Do you think that Kate would let me try on some of her make-up?" Eve asked. "You know, just for a laugh."

Francine shrugged, examining her fingernails.

"You could ask, but I think that stuff is pretty expensive."

Eve didn't bother to reply, and she was already out the door and into her dorm before Francine had a chance to look up.

Kate was alone sitting on her bed, flipping through an old issue of _Witches Weekly_. Everyone else must have still been at dinner. She glanced up when Eve walked in, and began to giggle.

"Oh Eve, I can't believe you weren't there. Charlie..."

"Yes, I know." Eve said, not wanting to be rude but suddenly feeling desperate. "I need to ask you a favor."

Looking slightly hurt that she didn't want to hear her story, Kate closed her book just loudly enough to let Eve know she was annoyed.

"Listen, I really do want to hear about Charlie, but right now I desperately need your help."

Sensing a good story in the making, Kate warmed up quickly.

"Yeah, maybe. What do you need?"

Eve swallowed hard, and tried to think of a way to ask that would led to the fewest questions.

"I want to know what I'd look like with make-up on. Will you put some on me tonight...I mean...just a little bit. You looked so pretty last time you went out with Roger, and I saw you putting that stuff on..."

"Ugh!" Kate cried dramatically. "Don't remind about Roger."

Cringing at an unpleasant memory, Kate got up and started digging through her trunk. She pulled out a fabric make-up bag, and tossed it on the bed.

"It would be my pleasure Evie." Kate said, smiling strangely. "Just as soon as you tell me who you're meeting tonight."

Eve stared blankly at her friend, a thousand thoughts swarming in her mind. This was such a bad idea, she should just go looking like herself. The classroom would probably be dark anyway. But there was no way Kate was going to let this slide.

"I'm not meeting anyone." Eve weakly offered, biting her lip.

"Liar!" Kate shouted, jumping back down on her bed. "I can read you like a book, Eve. You might as well tell me who it is now, and get it over with."

"You don't know him." She said, trying to sound confident.

Kate began taking out a variety of odd looking muggle products and laying them out on her bed.

"Try me." She said, carefully surveying the make-up, and picking a few things one by one.

Eve sat down on her bed, wringing her hands. She could guess what Kate's reaction would be, and it was not going to be pleasant.

"Severus." She muttered, so quietly she hoped that Kate hadn't heard.

Kate's head jerked up, and her jaw dropped.

"You mean Severus _Snape_? Evie, you had better be kidding." She exclaimed loudly. "Snape? He's such a greasy little rat!"

Eve wanted to defend him, but she didn't think she could. For all she knew, her friend might be right. What could she say anyway? That she had a gut feeling about him? A strange curiosity? That if she wanted to see him this badly, then he surely couldn't be that way at all?

"Please don't tell anyone Katie." She begged. "I don't understand it, but he just does something to me. I didn't like him at first either, not at all in fact. But we spoke, and I felt so uncomfortable with...and yet so comfortable at the same time."

"Alright." Kate said, jumping up and grabbing Eve's elbow. "It's straight to the hospital wing for you. I can only hope that they have room for you in St. Mungo's..."

Eve pulled free of her friend's grasp, her eye's shining with hurt tears. Of course she had teased them over their crushes, but that had been different. And he wasn't a crush exactly, just someone she wanted to know better. Someone she wanted to impress.

"Kate, please!" She begged. "Just do this one thing for me, and I promise I'll never ask anything from you again."

Kate stopped and put her hands on her hips, clearly debating the situation.

"What about that Rabastan character, the one that your supposed to marry?" She asked.

Kate was muggle born, and didn't really understand why Eve should have to get married so quickly, and to someone she had only met once to boot.

"I'm not going to fall in love or anything." She explained. "I told Snape a lot about me, but I know nothing about him. I'm just curious, that's all. He seems interesting."

"If you're into that sort of thing I guess." Kate said with a snort.

Eve didn't bother to ask what 'that sort of thing' was. Instead she looked hopefully at her friend, sticking out her lower lip like a pouting child.

"Oh all right!" Kate said, pushing Eve down onto the bed. "But you have to let me tell Francine. We promise we won't tell anyone else, alright?"

Eve nodded, deciding that it was probably a fair price to pay. After all, she wasn't doing anything wrong. It wasn't like she and Rabastan were actually betrothed yet, and it wasn't as if she and Severus were meeting for some romantic date. It was going to be completely innocent, that much she was sure of.

---

Flitting through the halls like a bat lost in the sunlight, Eve at last found the deserted charms classroom. The castle seemed so different a night, like it could have been a hundred years ago that these halls were filled with life and laughter, and not mere hours before.

Her heart beating wildly, Eve carefully drew a borrowed compact out of her robes and checked her make-up. She hadn't even pretended to sleep, and instead sat by the window and watched the full moon inch across the sky while Francine and Kate whispered about her. She didn't mind that so much, but couldn't help being hurt when they tried to talk her out of going, just as she thought they would.

Bracing herself, Eve pushed on the door. It didn't want to open at first, but after she shoved into hard with her shoulder it creaked open a sliver. Squeezing inside, she gasped as the door slammed behind her. The sound echoed through the dark empty room, making the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

All of the tables and chairs had been removed,except for the teacher's desk. The room was dusty and dreary looking, the only source of light coming from a lantern flickering on the desk. Beside it sat Severus Snape, looking paler than usual in the dim light.

"Wow." Eve said aloud, looking up at the exposed rafters encased in what looked like centuries of cobwebs. "I never knew this was here."

"I did." Severus said, hopping off of the desk and crossing the room to meet her. "I found it ages ago. I like to come here at night, when I want to be alone."

Eve smiled a little, already he was opening up to her. This was a good sign. Maybe if she knew more about him she wouldn't be so interested. Or maybe she would just care more. Either way seemed just fine at the moment.

"Did you come alone?He asked, stepping closer to her. "I was more afraid that you wouldn't."

Eve shook her head slowly, thinking about this. He probably didn't trust her, maybe he was worried that she would come here with a whole mess of her friends just to mock him.

"I'm not like most people, if that's what you mean." She said.

"I doubted that you were." He said quietly, reaching out unexceptedly to grab her hand.

Her breath caught in her throat, but she didn't pull her hand away.

"I think that's why I like you so much, because you're not like them." Severus continued, his words both intoxicatingyet almostbitter. "You're special."

Eve laughed a little bit, because she was sure that she had heard someone use a very similar line on her before.

"I know what you're thinking." He said forcefully. "And this isn't some sad attempt to get you into a dark corner so we can starting snogging."

Again Eve laughed, but now for a different reason.

"Yes, I guess I was thinking that." She admitted. "But why have to brought me down here then."

There was a long silence, as Severus seemed to struggle with his words. If it was at all possible, he seemed even paler than before.

"Because..." He said at last. "I think I love you."


	5. Love and War

_A/N: No I haven't given up on this yet...thanks to anyone who stuck around to read it : ) _

Eve pulled away, startled. Severus stepped away as well, looking so pale she feared he might be ill.

"Severus, you can't be serious!" Eve softly exclaimed. "We've only just met."

He reached up and tugged on his long black hair, looking anguished. Eve moved forward to put a hand on his shoulder, but then stopped at the last minute.

"I know." He whispered mournfully. "But you can't tell me that you didn't feel it too. I know it isn't rational, but we need each other..."

"I think you need a visit to Madame Pomfrey!" Eve said, suddenly frightened.

Remembering how the door had slammed behind her, now wondering if it was locked, she began to inch away.

"Believe me, I know it sounds insane." Severus continued, weakly letting his hands fall to his sides again. "But you can't deny that you've felt the same way."

"I've been curious, yes." Eve said, feeling frozen in place. "But surely not in love."

"How can you be sure of that?" Severus asked, moving forward in one huge step so they were once again face to face.

"I'm not." Eve admitted, speaking more from the heart than from the mind. "But I'm going to be married soon, so this all is useless anyway."

"That doesn't matter." Severus insisted, just as calmly as if he was reading aloud from a boring textbook. "You wouldn't really marry someone that you didn't love, would you?"

Eve felt a tingling at the back of her skull, and a bubble of laughter rose up in her throat. This was all so ridiculous!

"Severus, I'm going to leave now." She said. "And you really ought to get some rest, and if you still feel the same way tomorrow..."

"I will." He said, his voice low and smooth. "And so will you."

"Alright then." Eve said, clearly in over her head. "If we both feel the same way a week from now..."

"I promise I will, and so will you."

Eve found herself on the verge of laughter again. The girls were never going to believe this. Was this kid a nutcase or what?

"Fine then, let's wait and find out."

Eve turned and walked quickly towards the door, sighing in relief when she found it wasn't locked. Stepping out into the dim hallway with Snape on her heels, she hastily made her way towards the stairway to the Ravenclaw tower.

"I can make my way back just fine." Eve said over her shoulder, but Severus could not be dissuaded.

They walked for a few minutes in silence, until they both froze at the sound of voices on the other end of the hall.

"Filch?" She asked nervously, but Severus shook his head.

"No, he patrols the halls alone. I think its someone else."

Eve looked around, desperate for somewhere to hide. The last thing she wanted was to have to explain why she was out strolling through the halls at night with Severus, and then get detention on top of it all. A classroom door was left slightly ajar, and without a second thought Eve slipped inside.

"Come on Snape!" She hissed, reaching out for him. "Get in here before they see you."

"It isn't a professor." He said quietly, a visible sense of dread sweeping across his face. "Stay put."

Before Eve had time to ask what he meant, he drew out his wand, and the classroom door shut with a loud bang. She reached for the brass handle, but no matter how hard she tugged the door would not budge. Fumbling in the darkness, she dropped her own wand. Bending down to pick it up, she froze as the voices grew nearer.

"What did we tell you about wandering around at night grease ball!" A familiar voice taunted. "It isn't fair that we want to enjoy a pleasant night time stroll, and you have to come alone and foul up the air with your stench."

Eve pressed her face against the floor, and saw two pairs of feet standing in front of Severus. Definitely Sirius, and if she had to guess...

"Potter!" Snape hissed. "A midnight stroll, really? Or running about with filthy infected vermin perhaps?"

"Don't you dare talk about him that way!" Potter shouted.

There was a flash of light, and Severus cried out in pain. Suddenly his knees came into view. He must have fallen...

Eve reached up, and tried the handle again. It didn't budge. Merlin, why couldn't she remember a single decent spell when she really needed it.

"I'll kill the both of you, I swear it." Snape hissed, weak but as venomous as ever.

"I don't think so, you worthless..."

Eve grabbed her wand, and whispered the first spell that came to mind. It didn't work exactly as she planned. The door blew apart, but the pieces flew in at her. She drew her hands up to protect her face, and staggered through the flying shards of wood out into the hallway.

Jameslooked at her, startled, but Sirius did not take his gaze from Snape. Eve threw herself at Potter, unsure of what she was going to do to him, but angry enough not to care.

"Sectumsempra!" Sirius cried triumphantly, and Severus went flying backwards.

Eve threw a shocked Potter against the wall, and then dove at Sirius. Severus was lying flat on his back, two giant slashes on his chest, forming an X right in the middle. Blood was gushing from them at an alarming rate, soaking his robes. Still, he managed to lift his head and shout weakly at her.

"Use your wand!"

"Right!" She shouted back, grabbing her wand and jabbing Sirius in the eye with it.

He screamed in pain, grabbing at his face and sinking down to the floor. She dove down next to Severus, frantically searching for a way to stop the blood from flowing.

"No exactly what I meant." He whispered hoarsely. "But still good."

At that he lay his head back down, and shut his eyes. Eve looked over her shoulder, and saw that Potter had gone. Hopefully he was searching for help. As Sirius continued to moan in pain Eve watched in alarm as Snape's face drained of all color, until he was death's pallor. She panicked for a moment, because she could not tell if he was breathing.

She could have cried out for joy when she sawJames running down the hallway, Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall on his heels.

"What have you done now Sirius?" McGonagall whispered in disbelief.

Pomfrey dropped down next to Severus, and got to work at once. She ripped his shirt away, revealing the deep gashes crossing his pale chest.

"Dittany is the only thing. We have got to get some in him now or he's not going to make it." Pomfrey looked incredibly alarmed, and Potter's jaw gaped at her words. Sirius continued to moan, though he had quieted himself somewhat from before.

"I can get it!" Eve said, jumping to her feet. "I'm a fast runner, just tell me where it is."

Pomfrey looked like she was going to protest, but them quickly rattled off directions.

"Its in the storage room, on the bottom shelf, in the right hand corner next to the door. Hurry!"

Eve took off in a run as soon as Pomfrey finished speaking. Thankfully they were close. It took her a moment before she realized thatJames was behind her, struggling to keep up. Skidding in through the door, she pushed past Pomfrey's desk and dove into the storage room.

"Bottom shelf...right hand corner..." She whispered desperately to herself as the scanned the hundreds of small bottles. "Right hand corner...bottom shelf..."

Merlin they all looked alike, how was she supposed to know?

"Accio Dittany!" Potter cried, frantically grabbing the bottle that flew into his hands.

They both took off back into the hall, Eve now the one struggling to keep up.

"Do you even know magic?" He called breathlessly over his shoulder, in a jeering tone.

"How can you joke at a time like this?" She hissed back.

If he had not been holding the bottle in his hands, she definitely would have slapped him. They turned the corner, and Eve let out a small cry to see that the Severus was now lying in a pool of blood, and both McGonagall and Pomfrey were hovering over him wearing heavy looks of concern.James broke out into a sprint, and shoved the bottle into Pomfrey's hand.

"It isn't too late?" Eve shouted, gasping for breath.

"Thankfully, no." McGonagall said, "But he is very lucky. Go wait in my office, the both of you."

"What about Sirius?" Potter asked.

"I sent him there directly. Now go!"

Sirius was indeed waiting in her office for them, holding an wet cloth to his eye. He jumped up out of his seat when Eve walked in, and jabbed an accusing finger at her.

"You could have blinded me!" He cried.

"And you nearly killed Severus!" Eve shouted back.

"Seriously." Potter said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "That wasn't a good idea..."

Sirius ignored his friend, and turned all his attention to Eve. He shoved her once, though half-heartedly. AsJames cried out for him to knock it off, Eve shoved him back.

"What are you?" Sirius spat. "The greasy git's girlfriend."

"What a brilliant deduction." Eve tried to kick him in the shin but missed. "Did you figure that out all on your own or did you have help?"

"You're not really his girlfriend, are you?" Potter asked, hanging back at a safe distance.

"Not that its any of your business." Eve said, suddenly very unsure of what she was saying. "But perhaps I am."

Sirius fell back into his chair hysterical, and even Potter cracked a smile.

She was not sure why she had said, but she knew she would not take it back. Not until she saw Severus at least, not until she knew that he was alright.

"You've got to be kidding." Sirius said, in between howls of laugher. "This is a joke, right?"

"Oh, shut up!" She hissed, crossing her arms and throwing herself into a chair across the room.

Sirius andJames continued to snicker, and Eve ignored them. She didn't care what they thought, as long as Severus was okay. Twenty minutes later McGonagall returned, her night robe spotted with blotches of drying blood.

"Is he alright?" Eve demanded, jumping out of her seat.

"Sit!" McGonagall demanded. "He's been taken to St. Mungo's, and I expect that he'll make a full recovery."

"You three, however." McGonagall snapped. "Are going to be wishing for St. Mungo's when I am through with you. Do you have any idea how serious this is? Black almost lost an eye, and Snape was nearly _killed. _Will it take a tragedy to stop all of this foolishness?"

"Is isn't foolishness!" Sirius cried, leaping to his feet. "The stupid git is a death eater, everyone knows it. Anyway, he attacked us first."

"Sit down!" McGonagall shouted, though she was clearly taken aback. "What would lead you to believe that Mr. Snape is a death eater?"

"Why don't you ask her?" Sirius hissed, waving his finger at Eve. "She's his girlfriend."

"Well I..." McGonagall's jaw quivered for a moment. "Really?"

Sirius began laughing all over again, and would not stop until Potter hit him hard in the stomach.

"Yes really." Eve responded. "And he isn't a death eater."

"They all are."Sirius shouted, though he remained calmly seated. "Every last one of them."

"Well Severus isn't." Eve insisted.

She couldn't know of course, whether he really was or not. She imagined that he couldn't be. She had never been face to face with a death eater, though she had read about them in the paper. They were frightening men in hoods and black cloaks who went about the countryside killing muggles. They certainly weren't Hogwarts students, or people that Eve actually knew.

"I'll look into it, but you can't go around making serious accusations like that Potter." McGonagall said sternly. "You either Black. At least not without solid proof, do you understand me?"

Both boys nodded, though they exchanged a darkly significant look. While McGonagall wasn't looking Eve made a point to scowl and them and wave her fist threateningly. This only caused Sirius to begin laughing again.

"Really Sirius, this isn't a laughing matter!" McGonagall cried. "Perhaps it hasn't sunk it yet, but you nearly killed someone today, and may I remind you that it was not the first time either. You'll be in detention with me every Saturday, from now until June."

Before Sirius had time to protest McGonagall turned to James.

"Your attempts at saving Severus would have been very admirable Potter, if you had not contributed to the cause of his injury. Two Saturday detentions with me, separate from Black. And don't bother bringing the mirrors this time boys, I'll just take them away."

Sirius scowled, but Potter looked relieved. Eve felt very limp and tired as McGonagall turned towards her. Whatever punishment she might dish out couldn't be as bad as watching Severus nearly die.

"Now, there is the question of whether you acted in defense of a...friend, or whether you were there when the fight started. In addition, we have the question of why you were out of bed roaming the halls...

"Doing things we don't want to think about!" Sirius whispered under his breath.

"Enough!" McGonagall shouted, startling Sirius into momentary silence.

"That being said, I will present the information to Professor Flitwick, and let him decide what your punishment should be, as he is your head of house. However, I will recommend for him to be lenient..."

"Because dating Snape is punishment enough."James snickered.

"Oh, now really!" McGonagall cried, though it was clear she was trying very hard to keep her composure.

"Thank you Professor." Eve said, making a point to ignore them. "Can I go now?"

"Yes." McGonagall said. "Straight up to bed though."

When Eve got back upstairs Kate and Francine were already sleeping. She crawled into bed quietly, and hugged her pillow for comfort. She found it both strange and troubling that she felt very little like the girl who had left this room such a short time before.

Could she really love him?

She didn't know, and though he had frightened her, he had also implanted a seed of doubt in her mind. Why should she not love him? If it didn't work out they would merely go their separate ways, and admit that it had been a mistake. Besides her grandmother and her father so long ago, no one had ever said that they loved her, at least not in a serious way.

Pondering this, Eve did not fall asleep until the first ray's of light were visible on the horizon, a small semblance of peace washing over her at the thought that the darkness of night was being washed away by something brighter and much more promising.


	6. A Visit to St Mungo’s

_A/N: Sorry isn't been a while, I'll try to update more frequently in the future. _

The next morning Eve slept straight through breakfast, and when she awoke both Kate and Francine were gone. Staring in distaste at the mounting pile of work sitting on top of her trunk, she threw on a fresh pair of robes and walked down to lunch.

Her stomach ached a little when she saw Sirius surrounded by a group of eager girls, wearing a ridiculous looking black eye patch. He was obviously retelling his version of the night's events when Eve walked into the great hall, and he stopped at once to point at her. A few of the girls turned and began giggling, but Eve made a point of ignoring them.

Nibbling a roll and stirring her vegetable soup with little enthusiasm, Eve sunk in her seat when she saw Professor Dumbledore enter. Surely he knew about what happened, and she desperately hoped he would not want to speak to her about it. She also hoped that he wouldn't tell her grandmother, because that would be even worse.

"Miss Margot?" Eve looked up, and saw Professor McGonagall walking towards her, wearing a heavy winter coat and a red and gold scarf.

"Professor." She replied, pushing her plate away.

She hoped that McGonagall hadn't changed her mind, and decided to punish her after all. Eve had so much homework that she wasn't sure that she could manage it all plus regular detentions besides.

"I'm on my way to St. Mungo's, to check on Mr. Snape. I've asked the Headmaster for permission, and you may come along if you like. I'm sure that Mr. Snape will appreciate the gesture."

Surprised, Eve paused for a moment to consider. Would he think it was strange if she came to visit him? She had all but flat out rejected him last night, and even though she had nearly changed her mind, there was no telling if his feeling for her still were the same.

"I just need to get my things, Professor." Eve said, before quickly rising from the table and then walking past Sirius's mocking glare.

Back up in the dorms she grabbed her heaviest winter coat, a scarf, and gloves. Then is occurred to her that she might want to get Severus something. Every time she and her grandmother has visited friends in the hospital they always brought flowers or candy, at least a little something. Opening her trunk, she dumped the last of her allowance into her palm, and then the coins safely tucked into her robes.

McGonagall was waiting by the front entrance for her, pulling her scarf up over her ears.

"It's cold out there Margot, are you sure you're ready?" She asked, before tugging the heavy oak doors open.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Eve replied, following her out into the blowing wind and snow.

---

Eve picked up a very ugly moving glass figurine of a dragon and crinkled her nose, putting it down with a clatter.

The cashier at the desk looked up from a old issue of _Witches Weekly_, and cleared her throat. Eve shrugged apologetically, and turned her attention to a rack of magazines. Would Severus like something to read perhaps? She didn't feel right getting him flowers, and the only plants the gift shop had were incredibly wilted and sad looking.

_Transfiguration Today_? She couldn't remember if Severus took transfiguration.

_Sport and Gnome Hunting? _Well, she definitely would not read that one, so he might not like it either.

_Innovations in Apparition? _No, that didn't seem very interesting at all.

She turned of her heels, walking past a row of small pocket mirrors that were supposed bring good luck and foretell the future, but were mostly just spewing nonsense.

"Have you got anything here that isn't rubbish?" Eve asked bitterly.

The cashier didn't bother her magazine down, but Eve was sure she heard her snort.

Ten minutes later, Eve climbed the stairs to the fifth floor clutching a small box of chocolates in her hand. With her luck Severus wouldn't even like chocolate. Scanning the room numbers, Eve stopped at the sound of Professor McGonagall's voice. She had gone up ahead of Eve, saying she needed a private word with Snape first.

Leaning against the wall so she would not be seen, but inching as close to thedoor as possible, Eve strained to hear the conversation going on inside.

"...I understand that you're of age now, and the Headmaster agrees with me on this, you should at least send a letter..." McGonagall was saying.

"But you don't understand..." Snape began, before falling a fit of coughing.

Eve heard the sound of glass clinking, and the Professor muttering to herself.

"Calm down and have a drink of water Snape." McGonagall said. "We can't very well force to you to tell them."

The room fell into a poignant silence, and Eve back away and counted to twenty, before knocking softly of the partly open door.

"Come in Margot." McGonagall said tartly. "I'm afraid I'm in something of a hurry, but I'll give you five minutes."

Eve nodded, and stepped out of the doorway so the Professor could pass through. Once she left, Eve stepped inside and sat on the edge of the chair beside Severus's bed. He was leaning on a pile of pillows, and most of the color had returned to his face. His dark curtain of black hair was pulled back, and she could see a yellow colored bruise running along his jaw line.

"Are you alright?" She asked at last, though she had been hoping he would be the first to speak.

"I'll survive I suppose." He responded with a snort.

There was another few moments of silence, and Eve stared down at her hands.

"I got you a box of chocolates." Eve said, setting them down on his night stand.

"Why?" He asked, almost suspiciously.

"Well I thought that's what you were supposed to do when people are in the hospital...you know, bring them things to make them feel better." She explained.

He shrugged, reached for the box, and offered her one. Her stomach felt like it was turning somersaults, but she took one anyway and chewed on it thoughtfully.

"You didn't have bring me anything, you've already done enough." He said, sinking into his pillows.

She couldn't tell whether or not he was being sarcastic.

"Well actually, Potter did a lot too..."

"Don't talk about Potter!" Severus snapped, with such ferocity that Eve was taken aback. "He's the reason that I'm in here. He's a stupid mudblood loving bast..."

"Shh!" Eve commanding, slightly shocked. "I get the point."

Snape sat up on his elbows, a sour look on his face. Eve let out a long sigh, but was not about to be driven away now.

"Since we're on the subject, I really should tell you that somehow Potter and Black are under the impression that we're dating." She said, neglecting to add that it was only because she had told so.

Severus stared up at her in disbelief for a moment, his upper lip quivering with an emotion she could not read.

"They'll never leave you alone now." Severus said, bitterly. "We might as well really be dating for all the trouble it will cause."

"Well, why can't we?" Eve countered, her gut feelings taking over. "Really date, I mean."

Severus seemed taken aback, but not really surprised, like he had been expecting this from her all along, but was caught off guard when it actually happened.

"I thought you weren't interested." He said, in a tone that betrayed no emotion.

"I just needed time to think about it, and really, what is the worst that can happen?" She said, the words spilling out of her mouth almost more quickly than she could manage. "If it doesn't work out, we can always just be friends. Nothing ventured nothing gained, right? And obviously I'm here now, so there must be something between us."

He drank in her words, his lips pressed tightly together into a thin line but his dark eyes vivid.

"You said that you're betrothed." He said thoughtfully, his words calm but somehow laced with an unusual sharpness. "What about that?"

Eve looked away, a tightness in her chest. She didn't want to think about that right now, it still somehow seemed unreal.

"I don't know." She said, slowly looking back at him. "Maybe it doesn't matter right now."

"But what about when it does matter?" He asked, pushing himself up so he was mere inches from her face.

"I couldn't say." Eve said, only able to offer the truth, but wishing she could give him something more.

They locked eyes, neither blinking or looking away. There was a spark in his dark eyes, a hunger that she recognized at once. It was naked and raw, and hypnotizing. She shut her eyes, unable to break away and barely willing to try. A moment later she felt his lips on her own, surprisingly soft and gentle. Tingles raced up her spine, and she felt him pulling away she leaned in for more.

He obliged, his kissing growing deeper and more demanding. Eve swore they might go on kissing forever, if a loud knocking at the door had not interrupted them.

"I said five minutes Margot!" Professor McGonagall said shrilly, her hands planted firmly on her hips.

"Right." Eve said quickly, sitting back in her chair, unable to hide her flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes. "I'll just say goodbye quickly."

"Very quickly." McGonagall said with a sigh, narrowing her eyes at the pair.

After she had disappeared once more, Eve enthusiastically turned all of her attention back to Severus. He was smiling at her, the first real smile he had ever given her.

"Would it be too forward of me to assume that we're dating then?" Eve asked with a short laugh.

Severus pulled her in and kissed her once more quickly, before letting her go again.

"Was that a no?" She laughed, reluctantly grabbing her coat and rising up from her chair.

He grabbed her hand, and kissed the smooth pale flesh of her wrist before letting her go. Eve nearly stumbled from the room, ignoring McGonagall's curious stares as they shuffled into the waiting elevator.

Her heart felt so light she thought she might be floating, and she had the impression that this was only the beginning of it.


End file.
